Columbia Recruiting Battalion

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Pfc. Paul Matthews, 34, from Claremont, N.C. was recruited by Staff Sgt. Jeremy Trop at the Hickory Army Recruiting Center in Hickory, N.C.

Below is what Matthews had to say about the Army after he graduated from basic training at Fort Jackso, S.C.

“Working in healthcare for most of my adult life, I have
felt like I could be doing something more meaningful. After spending a lot of
time reflecting and discussing things with my best friend, who is an Army
veteran, I decided that I’ve always been drawn to the military.”

“So far my Army experience is close to what I expected,
mainly because my brother and best friend have both been enlisted. There has
been some difference though as they were both in combat MOSes (Military Occupation Code).”

“I have found learning to shoot a weapon as a slight
challenge since I have never fired a weapon before. I look forward to improving
that skill as I continue my career.”

“I have enjoyed my experience here in basic training more
than I expected and I’ve discovered new things about myself. I am looking
forward to continuing to explore the Army lifestyle and become a useful part of
the U.S. Army.”

This 'I became a Soldier...' interview was first printed in the Fort Jackson Leader newspaper in Dec. 14, 2017 issue.

Representatives of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) and Sonoco signed an agreement Dec. 20 to provide priority interviews to qualified Soldiers particapting in the Partnership for Youth Success Program (PaYS).

“The U.S. Army is excited to add
Sonoco to its team of corporate partners in the Partnership for Youth Success
program,” said Lt. Col. Stephen Christian,
U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion Columbia Commander. “These partnerships enable our recruiters to offer applicants local quality
employment opportunities during and after their Army service.”

Christian signed the agreement with Mr. Allan
McLeland, Sonoco Vice President of Human Resources,during a ceremony held at
Sonoco’s global headquarters in Hartsville, S.C.

“At Sonoco,
we believe People Build Businesses,
and today’s partnership only reiterates that sentiment. The Army PaYs program
is an excellent recruiting tool and will go a long way in helping us find great
talent for years to come,” said McLeland.

PaYS is a
strategic partnership program between the Army and a cross section of U.S.
corporations and public sector agencies. It was developed to help the Army
attract, train and deploy talented young people who want to serve their
country, but also want to help secure their future success once their Army
service is complete.

Under terms
of the agreement between USAREC and Sonoco, enlistees interested in gaining specific
job training and qualifications will receive that training while in the U.S.
Army. As they near the end of their enlistments, the Soldiers will have the opportunity
to interview with Sonoco for a specific job.

Sonoco jobs are in the Army’s PaYS database. For more
information, interested applicants may visit their local recruiter or log on to
www.armypays.com .

The Army’s
list of corporate partners is long and growing. Partners include: BellSouth,
Caterpillar, Lockheed Martin, Sears Logistics Services Inc., State Farm
Insurance, John Deere Company, Goodyear and Southwest Airlines. Most recently,
companies headquartered in South Carolina include: The City of Orangeburg,
G&P Trucking and Suburban Plumbing. Sonoco is the 688th partner.

“Each year thousands of young men and women develop
valuable skills and gain experience in a broad spectrum of Army jobs. They are
motivated, have professional work habits and high standards of conduct.This partnership is one way we can help
ensure our soldiers continue to achieve success after leaving the Army, and
that American industry benefits by gaining quality employees,” Christian said.

About Sonoco

Founded in 1899, Sonoco (NYSE:SON) is a global provider
of a variety of consumer packaging, industrial products, protective packaging,
and displays and packaging supply chain services. With annualized net sales of
approximately $4.8 billion, the Company has 20,000 employees working in more
than 300 operations in 33 countries, serving some of the world’s best known
brands in some 85 nations. For more information on the Company, visit www.sonoco.com.

About U.S. Army Recruiting Command

The U.S. Army Recruiting
Command, headquartered at Fort Knox, recruits quality men and women to serve in
the Army and Army Reserve.Approximately
8,000 soldiers and civilian employees conduct recruiting operations throughout
the States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and at U.S.
facilities in Germany and Asia.www.armypays.com